Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaozhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaozhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $639 in Chaozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,003 in Chaozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,366 in Chaozhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 57% more expensive than in Chaozhou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Chaozhou 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$2.15 ¥14.52

174.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$23.43 ¥158

40.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$3.29 ¥22.23

125.84%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$1.41 ¥9.52

17.02%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,514

$0.47 ¥3.20

134.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.29 ¥1.97

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

$1.14 ¥7.69

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$2.73 ¥18.46

16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$1.88 ¥12.73

-41.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$1.36 ¥9.18

-7.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$0.69 ¥4.65

100.00%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$1.08 ¥7.28

101.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$8.87 ¥59.9

-49.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$2.36 ¥15.91

145.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$11.20 ¥75.6

-19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$2.12 ¥14.32

9.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$0.88 ¥5.93

20.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$0.86 ¥5.79

76.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$1.63 ¥11.00

-16.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$0.53 ¥3.61

113.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$0.40 ¥2.73

192.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$0.41 ¥2.75

119.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$0.29 ¥1.98

210.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$2.74 ¥18.50

-18.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$11.07 ¥74.8

9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

$0.69 ¥4.65

72.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

$1.13 ¥7.60

119.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

$0.29 ¥1.96

193.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

$16.54 ¥112

151.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$0.87 ¥5.89

63.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$0.28 ¥1.91

596.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$6.66 ¥45.00

18.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$1.09 ¥7.35

-9.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$16.6K ¥112.0K

6.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$17.8K ¥120.2K

50.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$38.38 ¥259

116.28%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$4.00 ¥27.02

142.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$11.59 ¥78.3

102.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$41.31 ¥279

-38.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

$14.20 ¥95.9

34.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$6.03 ¥40.70

-34.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$316 COP 1.0M

$461 ¥3,112

-31.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$16.9K ¥113.9K

-64.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$12.23 ¥82.6

390.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$26.11 ¥176

21.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$83.7 ¥565

21.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$55.9 ¥377

92.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$282 ¥1,906

68.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$187 ¥1,265

99.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$598 ¥4,040

41.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$353 ¥2,385

103.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

$2,925 ¥19.8K

11.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

$1,909 ¥12.9K

-24.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$487 ¥3,287

28.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.56

277.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $282 in Chaozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Chaozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $174 per month, with Chaozhou cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Chaozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Chaozhou differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $639 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $475 in Medellin versus $282 in Chaozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $461 in Chaozhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $639 in Chaozhou versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chaozhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chaozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chaozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.